Those who study value conflicts have resisted rational choice approaches in the social sciences, contending that political conflict over cultural values is best explained by group loyalties, symbolic motives, and other "nonrational" factors. However, Chong shows that a single model can explain how people make decisions across both social and economic realms. He argues that our preferences result from a combination of psychological dispositions, which are shaped by social influences and developed over the life span. Chong's book yields insights about the circumstances under which preferences, beliefs, values, norms and group identifications are formed. It offers a provocative explanation of how ingrained social norms and values can change over time despite the forces maintaining the status quo. "Going beyond the tired polemics on both sides, [Chong] constructs a new interpretation of human behavior in which culture and individual rationality both matter. The synthesis is a more comprehensive and powerful explanatory framework than either side could have produced, and Chong's creativity should influence subsequent interpretations of our social life in fundamental ways."—Christopher H. Achen, University of Michigan
Collective Action and the Civil Rights Movement is a theoretical study of the dynamics of public-spirited collective action as well as a substantial study of the American civil rights movement and the local and national politics that surrounded it. In this major historical application of rational choice theory to a social movement, Dennis Chong reexamines the problem of organizing collective action by focusing on the social, psychological, and moral incentives of political activism that are often neglected by rational choice theorists. Using game theoretic concepts as well as dynamic models, he explores how rational individuals decide to participate in social movements and how these individual decisions translate into collective outcomes. In addition to applying formal modeling to the puzzling and important social phenomenon of collective action, he offers persuasive insights into the political and psychological dynamics that provoke and sustain public activism. This remarkably accessible study demonstrates how the civil rights movement succeeded against difficult odds by mobilizing community resources, resisting powerful opposition, and winning concessions from the government.
The chapters in this anthology present an encompassing perspective of how some Chinese martial art styles—and most significantly taijiquan—developed and evolved along with deep rooted traditions of spirituality and the quest for health and longevity. Much in this volume deals with Daoist theories and practices, particularly its influences ranging from human energetics (qigong) and other physical exercises (daoyin), to practical combative arts.
The chapters in this anthology present an encompassing perspective of how some Chinese martial art styles-and most significantly taijiquan-developed and evolved along with deep rooted traditions of spirituality and the quest for health and longevity. Much in this volume deals with Daoist theories and practices, particularly its influences ranging from human energetics and other physical exercises, to practical combative arts. Holcombe, Willmont, and Breslow's well-researched chapters dive deeply into the philosophical, spiritual, and physical traditions associated with Daoism. The search for immortality is shown to be of prime importance since it gave impetus to the belief that human beings can live healthier, longer, and happier lives. My own chapter presents a way of directly discovering taijiquan's philosophical principles through experiential involvement in the art itself. Henning's chapter gives an example in this tradition in the life of Ge Hong (284-363 CE). Known for his Daoist alchemical pursuits, Ge was also a military officer who provides valuable insights into Chinese martial arts practices. Dr. Wile explores the ways in which martial arts have been exposed to cultural construction and deconstruction. A Daoist connection has figured in political ideology, national identity, and commercial interest during the past 400 years of Chinese history. The text focuses on taichiquan as an important site of constructing Chinese-ness. From the early 20th century, the Chinese government often looked at Daoism as a form of superstition, and allowed temples to fall into disrepair. In the 21st century, as Hawthorne shows, there is a quest to rescue historic Daoist sites and study the tradition. In the final chapter, Greg Brodsky applies a five-element yoga model to the practice of taijiquan as a "quality assurance test." It offers opportunities for deepening, enriching, and enjoying taiga practice. In all, the chapters here offer insights for understanding how Chinese martial traditions...particularly taijiquan...developed and evolved within the framework of culture. The word taiji takes on different meanings according to time and place. This also resolves the ongoing arguments regarding taijiquan as a practical combat art verses a health regimen. As a proverb points out: "From the standpoint of the sun, day and night have no meaning.
It is our Orthodoxy that produces our being-to-the-contexts in our life. Put simply it produces for us our Human Nature, to any given life situation. In our Orthodoxy is the second component - to-know-to-know-to-be to context. By it, we know to express our Human Nature to get a job, chum with others, and court our girlfriend/boyfriend or to be anxious, depressed or angry. The normal patterning of behaviour out of our Orthodoxy is the basis for the insight by the ancient lyric poet, Horace: You can take a pitchfork to human nature, but it will always come back. Herein, we can take Yoda's advice to Luke Skywalker "You have to unlearn, what you have learnt". The simple question "Is it possible to change" leads Dennis and Jennifer to explore change and "the change of change". Discover "how-one-knows-to be" and "how-one-KNOWS TO-KNOW-to-be". For those of us who have once said, "I've had this problem all my life", there is hope. We can change our human nature so that we can say, "I no longer have that problem".
John Moore is a successful and brilliant yacht designer living the good life outside of San Francisco. Life seems perfect, when without warning he discovers his wife is being unfaithful and plotting to take over his business. He quickly devises a plan to save his business and leave her for good. He soon finds himself in a world he did not know existed—a world of global political corruption and intrigue. Purchased Power is a story of human weakness, greed, and good people whose errors in judgment put their lives on perilous paths. Follow John Moore on an epic journey to some of the most exotic countries in the world as he tries desperately to save a good woman from the clutches of the corrupt.
Starving Cancer Cells: Evidence-Based Strategies to Slow Cancer Progression — A Selection of Readings for Health Services Providers presents an edited and annotated collection of recent medical journal publications and abstracts illustrating new approaches to treatment derived from the metabolic theory of cancer. It intends to shed an early light on a relatively new approach to our understanding of the cancer cell idiosyncratic metabolic dysfunction, and on evidence-based new treatment strategies derived from that understanding. The book discusses topics such as tumor starvation by L-arginine deprivation; L-canavanine depriving tumors of L-arginine in pancreatic, multiple myeloma and breast cancer; glucose deprivation and intermittent fasting; glutamine uptake in cancer; the relation of oxygen-starved cancer cells with aspartate; and reducing tolerance of tumor cells to nutrition starvation. The content is presented in a contextualized and practical way in order to facilitate the transition from bench to bedside. This is a valuable resource for practitioners, oncologists and other members of healthcare chain who are interested in learning more about the most recent tumor cell starvation strategies and how they can improve overall treatment outcome. Provides extensive comments on scientific publications detailing recent findings about tumor cell auxotrophy applied to tumor cell starvation strategies Helps the reader to find relevant and practical information on cancer cell starvation, otherwise spread through niched specialized journals, in one single place Comments on the recent findings putting them in context of clinical practice in order to provide the reader with means of translating high level research to the clinics
One of the most important and celebrated works of premodern Korean prose fiction, Kŭmo sinhwa (New Tales of the Golden Turtle) is a collection of five tales of the strange artfully written in literary Chinese by Kim Sisŭp (1435–1493). Kim was a major intellectual and poet of the early Chosŏn dynasty (1392–1897), and this book is widely recognized as marking the beginning of classical fiction in Korea. The present volume features an extensive study of Kim and the Kŭmo sinhwa, followed by a copiously annotated, complete English translation of the tales from the oldest extant edition. The translation captures the vivaciousness of the original, while the annotations reveal the work’s complexity, unraveling the deep and diverse intertextual connections between the Kŭmo sinhwa and preceding works of Chinese and Korean literature and philosophy. The Kŭmo sinhwa can thus be read and appreciated as a hybrid work that is both distinctly Korean and Sino-centric East Asian. A translator’s introduction discusses this hybridity in detail, as well as the unusual life and tumultuous times of Kim Sisŭp; the Kŭmo sinhwa’s creation and its translation and transformation in early modern Japan and twentieth-century (especially North) Korea and beyond; and its characteristics as a work of dissent. Tales of the Strange by a Korean Confucian Monk will be welcomed by Korean and East Asian studies scholars and students, yet the body of the work—stories of strange affairs, fantastic realms, seductive ghosts, and majestic but eerie beings from the netherworld—will be enjoyed by academics and non-specialist readers alike.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.